Please note that the Japanese names in these posts are written in Japanese order, i.e. Family Name followed by Given Name

Sunday, 29 July 2012

Challenge League - Summer Games

A small number of games will be played in the summer months before the league resumes proper for all teams in September.

Ehime FC Ladies 3 - 1 Tokiwagi Gakuen High School
(Attendance: 420)

In extreme temperatures in Ehime, the home side followed up their fine performance against Vegalta Sendai with a 3-1 win over high-flying Tokiwagi Gakuen. Last week's debutants for Ehime, goalkeeper Mitsuhira and the impressively busy midfielder Ogawa Manami started again in this game, while Tokiwagi recalled some of their younger players to the starting lineup, namely Sugihara, Kawasaki and Nishikawa.

In the first half Ehime piled on the pressure but were unable to break down the Tokiwagi defence, while at the same time they kept the league's top scorer Michigami at bay. Eventually the breakthrough came with ten minutes remaining, which led to a flurry of goals.

Yamashiro Miyuki scored her first goal of the season to give Ehime the lead, with captain Nakada doubling it within a minute.With five minutes remaining Michigami pulled one back to give Tokiwagi hope for the final few minutes. Just two minutes later those hopes were dashed as defender Kushiyama Saki scored the game's final goal to give three precious points to Ehime.

Tokiwagi remain fourth in the table, while Ehime jump over Shizuoka into seventh. Nakada Maiko's goal now puts her sixth in the scoring rankings, while Michigami continues to lead the pack by some distance. Both sides next play in September.

Nittaidai bounced back after two consecutive losses - losses which have eroded almost completely their chances of winning the division - with a comprehensive victory over JSCL. In the first half the students completely dominated, with JSCL not allowed to muster a single shot on goal. For Nittaidai, top scorer Uemura was rested ahead of the U-20 World Cup, and it was left to Shimada to score her first goal in five games to give them the lead early in the first half.

Shimada had to wait until fifteen minutes after the restart before claiming her second and two minutes later Yamaguchi scored her third goal in her first four games for the side to relax her team. Sato Minami scored a brace in the last twenty minutes - her first goals of the season - which came either side of a Toriumi Mai consolation for JSCL. With time running out substitute Ozeki Miyu scored her first of the campaign.

Nittaidai are next in action in September, and only have four games remaining. JSCL next play on Sunday, at home to Bunnys, and will be desperate to avoid a repeat of the 5-1 drubbing they received in Kyoto.

Having not scored in seven games, and having lost their last match by twelve goals, Bunnys Kyoto surprised everyone by dominating against their hosts Shizuoka in the warm summer sunshine. Shizuoka local Ii Kiyono headed home a Watanabe Juri free kick for the opening goal ten minutes before half-time to stun the students.

Hanazaki Rena scored twice in the opening fifteen minutes of the second half to put Bunnys in control, and in doing so became the first Bunnys player to score two goals in a match. Despite the shots ratio being 15:7 in favour of Shizuoka, neither of their top strikers Oda Kanna nor Okuda Mika could find a way past Akiyama, and both were eventually substituted; their replacements were Ichikawa Miku and Takahata Airi, who were both making their first appearances this season.

In injury time substitute Hattori Sae picked up the ball from a throw-in and hammered home her first of the season for an emphatic Bunnys win.

Bunnys' next game is away to JSCL on the fifth of August, and a win there will take them seven points clear of the relegation zone. Shizuoka's next game is against promotion favourites and fellow students FC Takahashi. That game is not until September.

A facile win for the Academy girls, ahead of the U-17 World Cup in which several of them will be participating. Je Vrille Kagoshima on the other hand, find themselves slipping ever closer to the relegation zone.

Masuya Rika took her season's tally to 18 goals, underlining her importance to the national side, with two goals both a minute either side of half-time. Moriya Miyabi made it 3-0 on 53 minutes while two other national team players Narumiya Yui and Kojima Miku kept up their good scoring form going into the World Cup, with their fifth and sixth goals respectively.

Je Vrille Kagoshima are next in action on September 2nd against Bunnys Kyoto while JFA Academy have to wait until the 23rd, when they are away to Sfida Setagaya.

Another heavy defeat for Nagano, and with a daunting visit to Sendai to come in their next game, a defeat which may mean entry into the promotion/relegation playoffs later in the year. Setagaya kept up their charge towards the promotion spots, but with a seven point gap to Takahashi in second, it's looking increasingly like a forlorn hope.

Tanaka Mariko opened the scoring in the eleventh minute, her fifth strike in twelve games. The ever-impressive Ishibuchi Yuki then added two more to crush Nagano's hopes before half-time; Ishibuchi's 13th goal putting her fourth in the scoring charts.

In additional time at the end of the game, local girl Kuwahara Yoshie scored on her debut, having come on midway through the second half. Setagaya's next game is away to the improving Ehime, while as mentioned above Vegalta Sendai and new signing Sameshima Aya host Nagano.

Having pulled themselves clear of the relegation battle with their 4-0 win over Shizuoka, Bunnys Kyoto will be furious to have allowed themselves to be so comprehensively beaten by JSCL, who are back to within a point of their rivals.

Toriumi Mai continued her impressive scoring run with the first two goals in this game, making it six goals in five games for the captain, a week after her 21st birthday. Iwasaki Manami made the game safe just before half-time, fine reward for having contributed to the first two goals also.

In the second half Sasaki Shiori and Shanou Miki both scored for the first time in a long time to add gloss to the scoreline, and with four games to go, will be hoping for more to overtake Bunnys. The Kyoto team next play Je Vrille Kagoshima on September 2nd hoping to regain a four-point lead. JSCL next play on September 16th.

Neither side many any changes to their starting lineups for this crucial battle at the lower reaches of the table. Having been comprehensively beaten by the JSCL, Bunnys needed to recover their form entering the final stages. Kagoshima were in no mood to entertain such thoughts and their 2-0 win moves them five points clear of JSCL in ninth with a game in hand. Both goals were scored by Nakashima Ayaka and she scored them within a minute of each other towards the end of the first half - her fifth and sixth goals of the season making her Kagoshima's top scorer.

Kagoshima's next game is a tough assignment away to Tokiwagi Gakuen in Miyagi Stadium, while Bunnys' next game is not until the 23rd, a home game against Vegalta Sendai, which they dare not dream they can win.